Monday, 7 November 2016

What is Identity?

Dictionary Definitions: Identity


"The fact of being who or what a person or thing is" - Oxford English Dictionary
"The qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person or group different from others/'who someone is" - Merriam Webster
"The set of characteristics by which a person or thing is definitively recognizable or known" - The Free Dictionary
"The state of having unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing" - Collins English  Dictionary
"Something that describes an individual entity by it's properties" - Urban Dictionary
"the qualities that make someone or something what they are and different from other people" - Macmillan Dictionary

From collating all of the above dictionary definitions of the term 'identity', it is clear that the word refers to the qualities and characteristics that make a person who they are.

Things that make up identity (Mind Map)/Do mind map with my own identity?
  • Choices
  • Interests
  • Friends/Family
  • Likes/Dislikes
  • Background
  • Beliefs/Religion
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Location
  • Possessions
  • Habits
  • Appearance
  • Culture
Collective Identity

Collective identity refers to an individuals sense of belonging to a group through a shared set of traditions and values. The sense of belonging to these collectives causes the group's identity to become a part of their own. David Gauntlett suggests that "Identity is consciously constructed, and the media provides us with some of the tools to help us construct it". This argues that whilst our individual identities or the identities of particular groups are created by ourselves, the media have an influence upon this.

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